The Ghost of William Penn: Fun Splashes with Darby Creek - Sense of Geography, Sense of History, Sense of Well Being

By Thomas R. Smith, a.k.a., William Penn

Friday, February 1, 2013

Ghost of William Penn writes in two voices: In third person as instructor; sometimes use of this voice helps to be sheepish. Too, Penn speaks from the heart, first person. Today, minus introduction, the Ghost Governor speaks straight away:

Briefly, the Darby Creek watershed comprises of a main body of current flow, Darby Creek proper, plus three branches: Cobbs, Naylors, and Muckinipattis. And, north to south different physical zones stretch list: Headwaters, Fast Flow, Tidal Flow.

Handsomely and sensibly: The three branches, the three zones, and main stream, impart instructive. Lessons herald same to those of our great-grandfather's era. For time human eternal persons were grounded with a sense of place by a honed sense of watershed; time forward, down to recent past generations.

Time human eternal people knew immediate runlets and knew into which larger current they fed into, and though perhaps never did they follow downstream to the point where the aggregate water flowed into (be it a bay or sea or ocean), nevertheless, on some level persons possessed a sense of global positioning.

Sense of watershed gave a well grounded sense of being. It provided a sense of global positioning. Though they would not have styled it that way, they understood that to understand one's place was comforting and exceedingly helpful at times. They took life lessons: not to do that - here or there - they did not repeat. (Wiser by comparison to many of the Twenty-First Century who rather frets than learn.)

Darby Creek runs special as a course of study and deserves wider celebration. Enough with the champing talk. With palms downward facing: give a drum roll of imaginary splashes.

Lesson one, History:

Proclamation, Hear Ye!

Pennsylvania history places Darby Creek first among Pennsylvania streams.

Be it, understood, first ranking holds among Pennsylvania stream watersheds.

Hear Ye! First permanent European settlers made their presence into the grand Pennsylvania interior, via Darby Creek.

Nation settler particularly: Hickory sturdy and strapping Swedes were the first to venture in, interior-ward, which settlement commenced in the 1640's. William Penn arrived in 1682.

Hear Ye! To be clear, the Swedes penetrated the Pennsylvania interior by paddling up-creek Darby Creek. True, it was only an inch start when a modern Pennsylvania map is examined, but virgin forests and little blazed trails existed. The first land trails were mostly not of human construct, but were animal scurry trails (deer and alike) which the local natives adopted for convenience and for hunt values.

Hear Ye! Before William Penn was born the Swedes settled and made friendship packs with near base Native Americans. Re: The fair dealing done by the Swedes anticipated those treaties conducted by William Penn, which thus, hear ye, came secondary (atop) Swedish ones. Note: Conjecture suggests the first Native Americans to enter Pennsylvania did so from the south via the Susquehanna River.

Next, as late-comers, came the Swedes and the even later the English. Why among Pennsylvania's populace does it seem the English were here first; with Oh-yeah-s, Native Americans were here.

That the afterthought jars is mostly due to visions of familiar artwork renderings of William Penn (Me) 'making friendly.'

It has been established the first European settlers to enter into Pennsylvania's interior reaches by Darby Creek. They did so first northward then east going. Pre Penn (pre Me) the arch stretch later to comprise Philadelphia was settled from the southwest corner, via Darby Creek. William Penn and waves settled on the upturned stretch of Delaware River, starting in 1683. (Close Proclamation)

I must give praise to the Fashioner:

The Lord fashioned watercourses with elegant majesty. That Credited, the Darby Creek watershed has parents in headwaters, namely: Ithan and Little Darby. I shall get back to the blissful pair, from which so much blushes. First, however, it is order necessary to finish out a physical description of their relative kin (branches).

Established: Darby's branches include Cobbs, Naylors, and the Muckinipattis. (Say that proper name three times and you'll revert to the nickname.) (Affectionately nicknamed: "Muck and Potatoes")

Perhaps it is best to call Naylors and Muckinipattis eldest twin siblings, and picture Cobbs playfully carrying on one shoulder, little brother, Naylors.

It has struck me, and I share my thinking, Cobbs should be nicknamed, 'Lesser Darby.' Think about the last. Digest the following.

Moving; here lists a devised means to differentiate parts:

If you choose to diagram a Darby Creek stream map, use these as your bottom guide for designates: D. for Darby, the main stream, C. for Cobbs, N. for Naylor, next in flow; and M. for Muckinipattis.

Different spellings exist for the Muckinipattis, which has been given, how I heard it, mouth jumble syllables replicated. You are correct to think it sounds Native American. Whoever said Native American words roll easily over the lips, that person never tried to pronounce, oh heck, Muck and Potatoes.

Established: North to South divisions breaks into definable zones: First, Headwaters, second, Fast-waters, third in Tidal zone.

The headwaters are fed by trickle runlets and cull collect of small runs and underground springs in tilt to the low slung headwater parts. At juncture their aggregate doubles.

Commencement of the fast current middle zone belt waters launches faster flow where the headwaters roll and cascade in gradual glide over the first line of hills in from the Atlantic Ocean.

The singular direction going - multiple spread chain of hills, known as the Fall-line, creases southwesterly from (Lesser Darby) Cobbs Creek, in Haverford Township, and cuts across main body Darby Creek in the direction mostly west of Clifton Heights.

Old maps, ones pre-1959 era, retain intact the zone's most important land feature, one that very much relates to the Fall-line. Note: Era 1959 witnessed a creek change with the erection of the Garrett-Road-Bishop Avenue Bridge, in Upper Darby.

Question: To what matter and notice here?

The fall-line chain does possess what can be styled a spine. At the cited bridge site wends Darby Creek proper in biggest and tightest bend. This singular bend claims the spine. (Bridge building slimed the bend.)

All along the coast first wave European settlers made seats of habitation at the lowest point of fast water current flow. The first mills erected were saw and or grain grinding mills. One or both mill type dotted the coast exactly at the base of fast currents.

Mills and settlements quickly dotted each fast current stream all along the Atlantic coast; including, the Darby Creek watershed.

Swedes in the 1640's erected the first mill (on future named Darby Creek). In the 1680's the mill was antiquated and 'just old-battered.' Several enterprising venture capitalists, however, bought the mill and refitted it to best capabilities. The majority shareholder was a William Cobb. The mill became knows\n as Cobb's Mill and the branch took the Cobb surname.

So you have it. Let's review: The Darby Creek watershed comprises of a main body, plus three branches, and in north to south run includes the zones: Headwaters, Fast Flow, and Tidal Flow.

Included in the whole runs one branch possessing an - Oh Heck - easy to resort to nickname.